This is my final blog entry of this year and with regret this is the last of me. It has been a fantastic one and a half years blogging for Benetton UK, I sincerely hope you’ve enjoyed reading my fun adventures and stories particularly my odd (new) fondness for food and floral posts. I must stress that 2012 has been a stressful year, due to because my sister got married in the summer and my role as maid of honour wasn’t a pleasing one and that was ‘stress’, six months of hardship (being a slave) led to spending less time with blogging, thankfully I managed just fine. It is time to move on and pursue other interest, unless Benetton UK want me I’d be glad to accept. Happy New Year to you all!

I’m sure you have large bundles of personal highlights of 2012, they could be good or bad, sad or happy. The choices that we’ve made, the road we took, failure or success, it is something we must cherish and learn from that will help improve the future and ourselves in the next coming year.

Here is my top 5 personal highlights of 2012:

1. I became a village girl in Hong Kong’s countryside for two months, it was the longest I stayed in a foreign country and loved every single moment of it.

2. I got into flower arrangement and learnt how to preserve flowers which turned out to be quite scientific.

3. My sister got married in the summer, my role as a maid of honour I had to hand bead her wedding veil.

4. Visited 4 factories in England, learnt how products were made (made by love) in production, the importance of UK manufacturing, the reliance of foreign exports and job opportunities.

5. Having posh pancake breakfast with one of the UK’s most reputable fine jewellery brands.

New Year is upon us, UK citizens are looking forward to a brand new beginning and a fresh new start to the year 2013 (at least we are still alive and kicking after the Mayan’s failed end of the world prediction surprise date), tasty beverages preferably cocktails must include in the celebration. If you are organising a party at home with friends and family, creating your own cocktails seems like a fun ideal time and for guests to admire your art. I have selected some cocktail recipes that might tickle your fancy.

I tend to wear knitted sweaters after Christmas Day to hide my enormous swell from Christmas Dinner (consuming too much potatoes as usual), since the weather has become much friendlier than previous weeks, meaning we have warm weather and average humidity….no more layering! In the picture I’m wearing a metallic tone sleeveless peplum top belted with a floral motif belt, teamed with a pair of red tartan trousers and equestrian boots. You can achieve this post-festive look easily with a few selected pieces from Benetton – Sleeveless satin top, belted with thin leather belt with belt, teamed with a Jacquard Baroque trousers, and knee high boots.

The Boxing Day swim or dip is an annual charity event held every Boxing Day where people dress in fancy costumes swim in the sea across the UK and Europe, yes the sea in below freezing temperature, never mind the weather condition it’s an event never to be missed unless you’re brave. These traditions usually held in Sunderland near the North Sea and the infamous Tenby in Pembrokeshire, Wales which started in 1970.

I don’t own a Christmas tree but I have managed to create this custom piece using my collection of coloured nail polishes and a string of fairy lights. I wish you all a very Happy Christmas and Prosperous New Year!

It’s Christmas Eve, have you completed your shopping yet? Are you prepared for tomorrow’s feast? I’m already in a panic as I’ve forgotten to buy essential ingredients for my chicken – the stuffing. I have this question that has been digging in my head lately, what does Christmas mean to you? If not, what does festive season mean to you? I come from a non-religious background, growing up with two different set of cultures – English and Chinese. We also celebrate Christmas, New Year, and Chinese Thanksgivings and other festivals, yes we also eat duck, chicken, goose or rarely turkey in the festive periods. Christmas means is a time for family gathering, to reflect on your life good or bad, a time for contemplation, set a new goal, to receive and give love one and another.

I’ve never made or bought any wreaths for Christmas in my time, I started to appreciate the craft and tradition when I started browsing ‘wreath ideas‘ on Pinterest, there are so many varieties (mostly DIYed) of styles from traditional, candies, herbs, fruits, flowers, themed novelties, cards and scraps of reclaimed materials. Wreath usually displayed hung on your front door, or as a centre piece on top of fireplace, table or in the garden. What does your Christmas wreath look like?

Christmas decorations in Covent Garden especially in the market venue has always been very impressive and magical every holiday seasons. Big and bold Christmas ornaments hung from the celling bring festive spirits surrounding the market stalls, singing buskers, whiffs of enticing food coming from nearby restaurants and food stalls, attracting large international visitors and locals alike.

We’ve had an extraordinary summer in sports this year – The Ryder Cup, Tour de France, World Championships and Olympics needs no reminder. Over the weekend, Sports Personality of the Year 2012 was held in the home ground of Olympic, the Excel Arena where boxing matches were held. There were 7 nominees to win the prestigious award, the Olympians were heavily dominated to other categories.

The winner for the ‘Sports Personality of the Year 2012′ title was the Tour de France and Olympic champion – Bradley Wiggins, the award was presented by the Duchess of Cambridge. Many congratulations Wiggo!